An Interview With Transexual Blogger Davita Minton

A: I was experiencing writer’s block with my novel and I was afraid inertia might set in as it had in the past when the idea: “just write about anything” to keep busey, struck me. Next morning I awoke from a pleasant dream in which I was relating the happy details of a recent rendezvous to an imaginary friend and; Voila! “Write it down!” I told myself. And I did. And, I so thoroughly enjoyed the experience that I wanted to do it again. So I did. From this point things evolved rather quickly. I’m an avid follower of many varied podcasts and have been for several years. And several of my favourite podcasts have, at various times, had advertisements for free blog hosting. It all dovetailed quite nicely and easily.

Q: How is it different from other blogs about transsexuality?

A: Serial Trans is different primarily because, in an effort to avoid having the narrative voice heard from the first-person-singular perspective, I consciously decided to write it in the third-person, which makes it, I hope, read like fiction, even though each of the stories are based on actual events from my life.

Q: What kind of day job do you have and how does it influence your work?

A: I am currently unemployed. On June 11 I quit my job in Pensacola Fl. and came west to the San Francisco Bay Area. Somehow, having more time on my hands than ever has greatly affected my work. I haven’t written a word; accepting for multiple resumes and cover letters, in weeks. My profession, however, is any kind of labor. My last job was as a Maintenance Technician at a beachfront condominium. As this place was in the Deep South and I hail from the mid-west, and from a University town at that, I was quickly labeled a pinko-liberal-carpetbagger. In addition to keeping my gender and orientation a secret I also never once mentioned my writing. I think it had a positive affect. It was my angst. I often daydreamed that I would one day return a successful writer and well adjusted transsexual and buy the penthouse.

Q: What is your opinion of the way the media is covering the Caitlyn Jenner story?

A: I think it’s fine. Mike Huckabee’ risible statements notwithstanding, I have seen nothing else that I would find objectionable. My wont, however, is to avoid the mainstream media or the major networks for the dulcet tones of NPR and PBS almost exclusively. Perhaps I’m too sheltered.

Q: Who are some of your writing influences?

A: Before I was even finished reading the question ‘William Faulkner’ occurred to me. Then came Hemingway and Steinbeck and Garcia Marquez and Wharton and Austen and so many more. And another, I’m ashamed to admit, I was trying to avoid thinking about as I began to compose this answer in my mind. You’ve exposed an affectation. In my teens and twenties I read and sometimes reread everything Stephen King wrote. I think it was King, and my fascination with him, in conjunction with discovering I had a flare for writing; according at least to multiple Instructors at Parkland Community College where I enrolled full-time at the age of twenty nine, that inspired me to take up writing.

Q: What have you done to promote your blog?

A: Lately? Not that much. Although, I am very excited about this interview. I’m hoping for scores of uniques to visit the blog. Initially, however, I tried several things. I posted ads on CraigsList in several major cities describing myself and the blog but they were all simultaneously flagged for removal for some reason. I also joined Twitter (@mintondavita) where I posted a link to the blog and several excerpts from a few of the stories. And I joined two MeetUp Groups in the Bay Area where I discreetly alluded to the blog. Since early June though I’ve had a laser-like focus on my move from Pensacola to the Bay Area and finding housing and employment and conserving my resources.

Q: What stage of transsexuality are you in right now?

A: To use a term from the LGBTQQI vernacular I am presenting as gender fluid, I regret to say. I’ve recently concluded that to keep body and spirit intact I’m going to have to unpack my cache of ‘Boy Drag’ clothes. I’m having no luck finding work with demonstrably LGBTQQI friendly employers. It’s apparent that I do not possess the skill-set; tech, office, social services or hospitality experience, that most such companies are seeking. I fully intend to correct this deficiency by resuming my studies as soon as practicable. Considering outward appearances alone I imagine most of the population would label me a crossdresser. I’ve progressed only to the point of using wigs, clothing, daily hair removal, nail polish and some jewelry.

Q: What are the steps you took to get there?

A: A couple of years ago I noticed that I was dressing every waking moment when in the privacy of my home. I also noticed that I desperately wanted to do things and have things that made me look and feel more feminine. It was no longer enough to passively wait for these things to fall into my lap. I worked at a vacation condominium complex and it was common to find lost and abandoned clothes. The first time I actually bought something for myself was on Amazon; to maintain my anonymity. It was exhilarating. A little scary, but still, exhilarating. Then I noticed ads for women’s clothes and crossdresser clothes and Trans social networking sites were appearing on my screen and I began to click on them and from there the links cascaded in. Then there were the Wikipedia definitions for the spectrum of gender identities and more links. And then I took several online gender tests which I know are unreliable and which I didn’t always like the results of. But then, one evening a lover gave me a wig to try on and she kindly and gently brushed it and prepared me for the mirror. I was overcome with tears of joy. I had the strangest feeling that I knew her; the woman in the mirror. That I had seen her before. I shared these feelings with Bree and she told me; “You do know her. It’s you.”

Q: You say you have been working on a novel for four years; what is it about?

A: Of all the questions this one has been the most difficult to answer. Which lends insight into why I haven’t worked on the book in several months. This particular novel; one of four novels that I’ve started that are all unfinished, which I began writing five years ago this August, is about a virtually utopian future and how our civilisation progressed to such a state. The protagonist is a young female journalist and POC who is covering the breaking news story of an assassination attempt on the eminent and almost universally loved but unofficial world leader who is known as Principal, whom the United Nations World Government of the time always defers to because of the adoration of him by the vast majority of the world’s nine billion strong and universally connected human population. The assassination attempt is known to have been sanctioned by the sole remaining nation in the world yet to be aligned with the World Government, the rogue nation known as P.E.U.S.A or; Post Eruption United States of America. The aforementioned plot and various sub-plots are simply a vehicle for me to document what I think are common sense changes we can make in policies and attitudes and behaviours that could potentially transform our civilisation and give every human being the opportunity to live a safe, secure, productive, fulfilling and happy life. And it’s through the voices of the characters as they look back in time; at our future, and recall and celebrate the many achievements of Principal; whom I accredit with my ideas, over his century of leadership that I elucidate what could be. I’m aware there’s no predicting the future and that good intentions often go for nought. But this is fiction. I take license to dream.

Q: MAC or Sephora?

When I first read this question I had absolutely no idea what it meant. I had to google it. When I saw the search results all I could do was smile. Upon reading some of the results I think I will probably go with Sephora. And soon I hope. All I’m waiting for is to be gainfully employed again. Until then, I’m conserving every penny.

Please note; Eliza’s interviews are done by email. All answers are unedited and come right from the lovely fingertips of her subjects:)